The Boerum Identity: One Hill of a Hot Hood
Who knew? Boerum Hill has more garages than either nearby Cobble Hill or Brooklyn Heights. Another interesting stat: About 90 percent of the housing stock in Boerum Hill consists of townhouses. That percentage may drop, of course, as new developments like The Smith come on line. And, of course, who can forget the celebs? In…
Who knew? Boerum Hill has more garages than either nearby Cobble Hill or Brooklyn Heights. Another interesting stat: About 90 percent of the housing stock in Boerum Hill consists of townhouses. That percentage may drop, of course, as new developments like The Smith come on line. And, of course, who can forget the celebs? In addition to Brokerback Mountain stars, Heath Ledge and Michelle Williams (pictured, at right…oh, wait, sorry, that’s Boerum Hill Association president Sue Wolfe and her hubby Joel), we hear that actress Hope Davis recently picked up a cute brick two-family in the nabe.
The Boerum Identity [NY Post]
The Boerum Hill Association is over 40 years old, so the name couldn’t have come from developers in the 70s.
As the story goes, the woman who named it (partially fictionalized in Fortress of Solitude) did so in the 60s to make the neighborhood sound better so people would move in and clean it up, but it wasn’t developers. They were waaaaaay in the future.
Everyone knows Cobble Hill, Carrol Gardens, Boerum Hill are all made up real estate names. The boundaries are arbitrary, the monikers are meaningless.
I had a 50th birthday party for my husband in Dec. 1986 at Lisanne. Joel owned and, I believe, was the chef. It was very good — and very ahead of its time. It closed almost immedaitely after the party. He and Sue live above it.
Lisanne was very good. The owner lived upstairs as I remember. Atlantic Avenue probably wasn’t best location for restaurant then. I didn’t know they still remained in area.
According to Jonathan Lethem in Fortress of Solitude, Boerum Hill was made up by the real estate people in the 70s to speed gentrification. Not that a work of fiction is an appropriate right source but it’s what I’m reading now.
This is Hope Davis
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0204706/
Yes, Brooklyn seems to have lots of Hills and Heights and gardens
for a place this is relatively flat and not real green.
Hey we also have an(Coney) island that really isn’t either.
I’ve been wondering for about 35 years:
Where exactly is this Hill? I mean, isn’t Boerum whatever actually in the Gowanus valley? Anybody know whether there’s any basis (except in a real estate agent’s fantasy) for calling it Boerum HILL?
Anybody here remembers Joel Wolfe’s restaurant on Atantic, “Lisanne”?